Introductory Course Materials

Several developments have stimulated our Department of Physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (U of I) to undertake a major revitalization of our introductory physics curriculum. First, physics education research has provided new insights to radically improve the way we teach physics, and second, the computer revolution has provided new, exciting pedagogical tools. These new capabilities, coupled with the need to provide greater flexibility for our students, and the capability of the World Wide Web to provide an interactive learning environment, have stimulated us to revise completely our introductory courseware.

About our group

Physics Education Research (PER) is research into the learning, understanding and teaching of physics and the application of physics knowledge. Our group has a broad range of research interests that include the role of mathematics and reflection in physics learning, the organization and deployment of physics knowledge by experts and novices, differences in perception of physical diagrams and motion between experts and novices, transfer studies, the design and implementation of web-based instruction, curriculum reform, and the evaluation of educational assessments. Experimental techniques and analyses we use in our research include eye-tracking, video analysis, student interviews, web-based log data analysis, and exam question analysis. As a piece of our department's curriculum reform of the introductory sequence, we are in on-going development of web-based instructional materials that include interactive examples, prelectures, and smartPhysics. Our group includes members from both the Physics Department and the School of Education.